Toll Houses

Toll Houses existed at the bridges to Cohoes and to Waterford, as well as south of the intersection of Gurley Avenue and Northern Drive, northwest of the intersection of the River Road and New Turnpike Road, east of the intersection of Turner Road and Route 40, and northeast of the intersection of the River Road and 101st Street. Judging from the 1854 Map of Rensselaer County, New York, there would have been no road into the Village of Lansingburgh whereby someone could arrive from out-of-town without passing a toll house except, for whatever reason, Farrell Road.

☞ Jesse P. Wilson is surrounding the eight acre lot recently purchased of Edward Lansing, with a fence. He has purchased the Toll Gate House of the Lansingburgh Plank Road Company, and will move it upon his lot and convert it into a tenant house.Lansingburgh Semi-Weekly Chronicle. May 7, 1864: 3 col 1.

It was on motion further ordered that the Attorney of the Board be directed to take the proper steps to cause the toll gate of the Lansingburgh Plank Road Company to be removed.
“Corporation Proceedings.” Lansingburgh Semi-Weekly Chronicle. May 21, 1864: 3 col 3.

The Rensselaer County Supervisors met in the county clerk’s building on Ferry street this afternoon at 2 o’clock.
It was an adjourned special meeting, and there were twenty-one members present. […]

Against a Tollgate.

Mr. Demers introduced a petition of persons living in North Lansingburgh and Schaghticoke, asking that the toll-gate in the northern part of Lansingburgh leading to Schaghticoke be done away with. Mr. Demers thought the matter should not be hurried, but that the petition, which is headed by J. K. P. Pine, should be referred to the attorney of the board, and if found feasible and advisable, to have the matter acted upon at a special meeting.
Eugene Bryan, who was present, spoke against abolishing the tollgate.
Mr. Demers’s resolution in regard to the tollgate was adopted, and Messrs. Evans, Parker and Connell were appointed at committee to consider the question with Attorney Ingalls.
Ex-Supervisor Gordinier was allowed the privilege of the floor to explain Mr. Allen’s bill. Mr. Gordinier said the charge was not excessive, and that Mr. Allen had been employed by the committee in the regular way.
Adjournment followed.Troy Daily Times. April 15, 1896: 3 col 5.

The Rensselaer County Board of Supervisors ratified formally yesterday the purchase of the Lansingburgh-Waterford and the Lansingburgh-Cohoes toll bridges, thus taking a big step forward in the matter of free intercourse between residents of adjoining counties. The tollgate everywhere is doomed.Troy Semi-Weekly Times. August 4, 1914: 4 col 2.